Air conditioning equipment, commonly used in commercial and light-commercial applications, is often housed in an enclosure or cabinet disposed on the roof or at the side of the building which it serves. Such housings are typically comprised of a metal framework to the sides of which louvered cover panels are affixed. In some instances, particularly with respect to air conditioning equipment of the type known as air-cooled water chillers, piping may be required to penetrate the sides of the enclosure to allow for the connection of the piping to air conditioning system components housed inside the enclosure.
Because the connection of such piping to the air conditioning equipment components housed internal of the enclosure occurs in the field and because the removal of enclosure cover panels may be necessary subsequent to the equipment's initial installation in order to allow for access to components and connections interior of the enclosure, the need exists for a cover panel for air conditioning enclosures which accommodates the penetration of field installed piping in a manner which allows for subsequent removal of the cover panel, without the need to break a piping connection, yet which does not substantially detract from the strength or rigidity of the panel or its ability to securely protect the components housed within the enclosure.